From novelty and now superstars, female athletes have come a long way. And their rise in sports is far from over. ESPN The Magazine’s first-ever “Women in Sports” issue, currently on newsstands, sheds light on these phenomenal women – women who own who they are, control their image, command their careers, and play how they want to play. The Mag also takes a look at how Title IX gave women greater entry into the wide world of sports, and yet how 40 years later, many obstacles are still in their way. But while their stories can’t all have happy endings, still they play on.

In celebration of this initial venture of a women-centric issue and the 40th Anniversary of Title IX, The Mag teamed up with espnW on the following features to bring even more awareness to “Women in Sports.”

Forty years after Title IX was passed, there are still ceilings to be broken, boundaries to be pushed and paths to be paved. espnW and ESPN The Magazine selected 33 game changers, 33 women who will change the way sports are played.

At age 13, Michelle Wie became the youngest player to make an LPGA cut. Now, at 22, for the first time in her career, Michelle Wie is concentrating solely on golf, even if it means leaving her life of the beach and paddleboarding in Hawaii behind. By Molly Knight

The Mag tells the story of freeskier Sarah Burke through the prism of those who knew her best. By Eli Saslow

Additional Highlights:

The Fix columnist Chris Jones didn’t think anyone could be as excited as he was to spend time with the Stanley Cup. But in Jones’ town of Port Hope, Canada, the Cup is met with the awe normally reserved for religious artifacts. In his latest column, Best day ever, Jones writes about his precious time with this (precious) trophy.

NFL: In an offseason of Bountygate and class-action suits, The Mag tags along on the life-changing mission to Africa by two veteran wideouts, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald in Giving receivers.

MLB:Yu Darvish has taken the American League by storm, so ESPN The Magazine asked six hitters who have succeeded against him to share their secrets. Turns out, there isn’t much consensus in How to hit Yu.